Tiger's Claws
by NylaKitty
Summary: Tigerstar's story, from kithood to death, from his perspective. Much GoldenxTiger fluff.
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

I barely remember my father. I was not even a moon old when he left, but my mother told me much about him. The one memory I do have, vague as it is, is of the last time I ever saw him.

I had ventured out after the Clan had returned from a battle with RiverClan, always curious about battles. As soon as she noticed I was missing, my mother rushed out of the nursery, and began to scold me. Before she could mew more than a few words though, Pinestar leaped to the top of the Highrock and yowled the summons for a Clan meeting. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather to hear what I have to tell you!" Immediately the murmuring and bustling of the camp quieted, as cats settled down to hear what their leader had to say.

My mother gave me a glare that clearly told me she was not done with me, and darted into the nursery to fetch my siblings. She returned just in time to hear the wrds that would change my life – all of our lives – forever.

"Cats of ThunderClan," he meowed, "I can no longer be your leader. From now on, I will leave the Clan and live with housefolk in the twolegplace."

I was shocked. I cannot even begin to describe the thoughts that went through my young mind. I simply did not understand. It couldn't be true. My father was a leader, respected my his Clannmates, loved by all! Why was he giving it up to be a… a _kittypet?!_ I looked up at my mother for reassurance. She was sitting stiffly, tail wrapped around my sisters, staring at her mate. I shivered and hunched down. I'm not sure how long I sat like that, hearing the hum of voices around me. I couldn't cope with the thought, so I simply shut it out.

When I looked up again, my father was standing over us. I could hear my mother's voice, and slowly thought drifted back to me. Pinestar's tail flicked enticingly in front of my nose, and I pounced on it. He flicked it away.

"They'll be fine with you, Leopardfoot. I'm not a father they could be proud of, but I will always be proud of them. Especially you, little warrior." He gently nosed the top of my head, and I looked up at him. _How can you do this? Leave us alone?_ I growled._ You're right. I'll never be proud of you._

"Be strong, my precious son," he murmured, and padded out of camp. As I watched him vanish from sight into the gorse tunnel, I made myself a vow. Young as I was, I still remember that promise.

_I will become the leader you were not, Pinestar. I will never think of you as my father. You were a failure. I will not be like you, I will not follow in your pawsteps._

_I will be strong. _

-+-+-+-

Only a few sunsets later, my sisters left for StarClan together. I woke up to their cold bodies pressed against mine, eyes shut tight as though they were sleeping. As the sun melted away the cold and soaked up the dew, I thought I caught the scent of frost and stars. But then it was gone, and my mother was nosing them, calling their names, begging them to wake up. I didn't speak, I simply sat watching. They had not been as strong as me. I would live on. I would be the greatest leader the forest had ever seen. I would be… Tigerstar.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 **

"What's going on?" Tigerkit meowed, peering over the side of the nest. He was promptly tugged back down again, getting only a glimpse of Snowfur lying in her nest, with cats standing or crouching around her.

"Hush. Snowfur is kitting. Soon you'll have more playmates. But you have to be quiet now."

"She's making kits? How does she do that?"

Leopardfoot stifled a purr. "You'll see when you're older."

"Is that why she was so fat before?"

He was rewarded with a gentle thwack from his mother's tail. "Don't be rude! That's how I was before I had you."

"Sorry," he mumbled. Then after a moment, he asked, "When I'm older will I have kits like that too?"

With a muffled snort of amusement, Leopardfoot purred, "No silly, only she-cats can have kits." Then seeing his crestfallen look, she added, "Don't worry. You'll have your chance to be a father."

Tigerkit didn't reply, but peered over the side of the nest again. His mother tugged him back down again by his tail. "You're as nosy as a squirrel! Why don't you go outside and see if you can find Lionpaw?"

"Okay!" The tabby squeaked happily. He had come to look up to Lionpaw and his sister Goldenpaw as the siblings he had never had. "Watch out! Coming through!" He darted out through the entrance, brushing under Featherwhisker's belly as the other cat was coming in.

As he bounded off to the apprentice den, he heard the medicine cat remark, "That kit gets bossier by the day. I know he's the only kit in ThunderClan, but I wish everyone would stop indulging him. He's starting to act like a little leader!"

Tigerkit purred to himself. _You have no idea!_

Spotting the tell-tale ginger pelts by the nettle patch, he trotted over. When he got close enough, he dropped to his belly, and sneaked along the ground. Pawstep by pawstep, he drew closer, until he was perfectly positioned. Then he wriggled his rump, and leaped.

There was a yelp, and the tail whisked out of the kit's grasp. "Tigerkit! I didn't hear you come up!"

Tigerkit sat up and puffed out his chest. "Of course not!" He mewed. "If you were a mouse, I would've had you a heartbeat!"

Lionpaw purred. "As if you need more mice to eat. You're as round as a hedgehog!" He poked the kit's plump belly. "Now let's see that hunting crouch of yours."

Obligingly, the kit dropped into a crouch, remembering to keep his tail straight, and his belly just off the ground. Carefully he placed one paw in front of the other, scooting forward. He paused, focusing on a stray leaf that had blown into camp. He paused, eyes narrowed intently. He was about to pounce, when a paw came down on his tail. He gave a small squeak, and sat up. "Hey! What was that?"

Goldenpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. "With your tail straight up in the air, prey would have seen you coming from the other side of the forest! Come on, try it again."

Grumbling, Tigerkit did so. This time he completed the pounce, batting the leaf up into the air and catching it on his claws.

"That was great!" Meowed Goldenpaw.

"Just remember to keep your tail straight and still, and you'll catch enough fresh-kill to feed the whole Clan in no time!" Lionpaw added.

They practiced hunting crouches for a while, stalking invisible squirrels, rabbits, and the like. Then Lionpaw tried showed him a battle move he had just learned in training that day.

"See, pretend I'm a great big ShadowClan warrior, and I'm much stronger. How would you fight me?"

"Like this!" Tigerkit leaped up into Lionpaw's back, flattening him to the ground.

"Uhff, get off me you great furball! How are you ever going to learn if you don't listen to your elders?" Although Tigerkit was big for his age, Lionpaw was also. He stood up, and shook himself, sending the tabby kit tumbling to the ground. He jumped right back up, not fazed at all.

"Well if that doesn't work, what does?" Tigerkit asked, bouncing around the ginger siblings.

Goldenpaw purred. "If you settle down, we'll show you!"

Reluctantly, Tigerkit sat, wrapping his short spiky tail around his paws.

"Okay. You watching?" Lionpaw asked. "When they rush at you, you step to side, and rake your claws along their side. Then while their off balance, you just shove them away from you, like this." He and Goldenpaw demonstrated, keeping their claws sheathed.

Tigerkit watched eyes with excitement. "I want to try! Let me try!"

So they practiced that move for another long while. When the sun was high overhead, Goldenpaw flopped down. "Enough, enough. You have more energy than us. We elders need a break."

Lionpaw stretched out beside her, and began to wash his chest. Tigerkit yawned, and curled up next to Goldenpaw. She looked down at him, and began purring. Wrapping her tail around him, she ran her tongue along the kit's ears. Slowly, his eyes began to close. A small rumble came from his throat, and he rested his head on his paws.

"Hey Goldenpaw," he murmured after a while, "you or Lionpaw's gonna mentor me when I'm an apprentice, right?"

Goldenpaw's whiskers twitched, and she purred louder. "We'll see about that. After all, It's for Sunstar to decide, not us."

Tigerkit rolled over, and made a face. "But what if he makes Thrushpelt or Stormtail my mentor? I don't want to get stuck with someone _boring._"

"Hush, you!" Lionpaw rumbled, cuffing the tabby good-naturedly. "Don't be rude. Thrushpelt and Stormtail are loyal warriors, even if they don't let you hunt badgers like you want to. Now why don't you run along, I bet Snowfur is done kitting by now. You ought to go meet your new denmate. And Goldenpaw and I ought to be out hunting."

The kit brightened. "Oh yeah!" He meowed, jumping to his paws. "Bye Goldenpaw, Lionpaw!" He dashed away across the clearing, and scrabbled into the nursery.

"Is it over?" He asked excitedly, peering into the nest. Then he frowned. "Where are the others?" He turned questioningly to his mother.

"That's the only one."

Just one? Huh? He cocked his head. "That's all? But it's white! It'll never be able to hunt with a pelt that color. They prey'll see him coming tree-lengths away." On the other hand, he thought, it would be good in the winter when most of the Clan members had trouble catching prey.

Leopardfoot twitched her tail, and climbed out of her nest to nudge Tigerkit away. "He'll be a fine hunter like his mother," she said sternly, nosing him into the nest.

"Not as good as me!" he chirped.

He mother flicked him with her tail. "If you want to be in here, you'll have to sit and be quiet," she said in a softer voice. "Snowfur is very tired."

Tigerkit grumbled halfheartedly. He _was_ a bit tired after playing with Goldenpaw and Lionpaw, and the nest was soft and warm. He found himself sinking into sleep, imagining all the fun he could have with his new denmate.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Look! He's opened his eyes already!" The exited meow made Tigerkit blink sleepily, and then pop is head over the side of the nest as the words registered.

"Great! Can I take him out to explore?" He gazed pleadingly at Snowfur. She stared at him in horror, and wrapped her tail protectively around her kit.

Bluefur purred. "You made me go out the moment I opened my eyes," she pointed out.

Twitching her whiskers in a grimace, Snowfur sighed. "If he wants to go then, he can." Then she added with a glare at Tigerkit, "But no farther than the clearing!"

Tigerkit bounced gleefully out of the nest and scrambled over to Whitekit's. "Come on! There's loads to see!"

Whitekit turned and looked at him, trying to focus his bleary eyes.

"We're going to be warriors," Tigerkit mewed proudly. "We might as well start now."

"Okay." Whitekit blinked a few times, and scrambled onto the edge of the nest.

"This way!" Outside, Tigerkit dashed around in happy circle, chasing his stubby tail. "Look, look, isn't it great?" He looked over at Whitekit, remembering his first trip out of the nursery. Who had showed him? He couldn't remember. His mother had told him that he was the weakest of the litter. Maybe he hadn't gone out until after his sisters… He turned his attention back to Whitekit, who was looking thoroughly dazed.

"Let's go see the elders first. They always have some great stories!"

-+-+-+-

Half a moon later, another litter was born, this time Robinwing's. Tigerkit and Whitekit happily accepted the job of showing them around the camp.

"This way! This way!" Tigerkit mewed.

"We'll show you the medicine cat's den first." Whitekit scampered along behind his older denmate, trying to get ahead of him.

"Old Goosefeather better watch out, the new warriors are coming!"

"Is Goosefeather the medicine cat?" Brindlekit asked.

"Yeah, but he should be in the elders den. He's not quite all there." Tigerkit snorted, producing purrs of laughter from the other kits.

"This is where the sick-" Whitekit started to meow, skidding into the small clearing. A shriek interrupted him.

"Get away, you vermin!" Goosefeather was standing at the entrance to the rock den. He let out a yowl, and flattened his ears. Tigerkit backed away, eyes wide.

Just then, Bluefur leaped in front of the kits, hissing. "What are you doing?"

Unfazed, Goosefeather twitched his tail, indicating Tigerkit. "Get that creature out on my den!"

"I'm not in your den!" Tigerkit meowed, trying to hide the fear that was weighing low in his belly. What was this?

"Get him out of my clearing!"

Bluefur brushed the kits with her tail, shooing them away. "Off you go, little ones." Tigerkit could hear the false cheeriness in her voice. He inched slowly backwards, keeping his eyes on the elderly medicine cat.

"What's the matter?" Featherwhisker padded quickly into the den, and dropped his load of moss. Tigerkit wrinkled his nose at the bitter smell coming off it. He could hear Featherwhisker and Bluefur trying to calm the old medicine cat down, but he couldn't hear their voices any more. Everything seemed fuzzy and unreal.

A sharp voice broke through the fog._"Nightmares? Only when I open my eyes and see that!"_

He flinched slightly, and moved away down the tunnel in response to the furry body that was sending him off.

"_I'm not imagining _that_!"_

Tigerkit risked a glance back. The medicine cat was staring straight at him, ears flat, droll hanging off his chin. His eyes blazed with anger, hate, and something else. Fear. Fear not of the kit, but what he would become.

"_Keep that creature away from me!"_

Tigerkit fled.

-+-+-+-

"Mother?"

Leopardfoot yawned, and murmured sleepily, "What is it, dear?"

"Do you… Do you think I'm a monster?"

Startled, the black queen raised her head to look down at the kit nestled in the fur of her belly. "Of course not! What makes you say that?"

Tigerkit shuffled his paws for a moment, and then, hesitantly, told his mother about the days' events. She listened in silence, her face lost in shadow. When he finished, she still didn't say anything for a moment. Then she sighed. "Goosefeather is very old. He was old when I was your age. He should have moved on to the restful life of an elder long ago. StarClan only knows why he did not. Anyone can see that Featherwhisker is the one who does all the work." Her tail swished against the bedding, and Tigerkit could tell she was annoyed.

"Anyway, you shouldn't take what he says to heart. The seasons have not been kind to him, and what he says does not always mean anything. I'm sorry it happened to you. I'll speak to Sunstar about moving him to the elder's den tomorrow. For now though, we should both get some sleep."

Reassured, Tigerkit nestled up against his mother. She began a soft rumbling purr, a comforting sound, and curled around him. Before long, the kit fell silently into sleep.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Whitekit."

It was Bluefur. Her pelt was ruffled, and her eyes were dull. She looked as though she had lived a thousand moons in a single day.

"You're back!" Whitekit hopped up, peering around Bluefur. "Is Snowfur with you?"

Bluefur flinched slightly. "Come outside, little one."

"Has Snowfur got a present for me?

Tigerkit looked up from batting around Brindlekit's tail. "Can I come too?" He mewed.

Bluefur shook her head. "Just Whitekit."

Rather put out, the kit opened his mouth to ask why, but then thought better of it. Bluefur looked as though she didn't need to annoyance. Instead, he turned back to the furry appendage, waiting for them to leave the den.

His mother was sleeping, no doubt exhausted from looked after her boisterous kit. Swiftbreeze, round with her own kits, was nestled in a corner whispering worriedly to Robinwing. They were not watching him closely.

With the coast clear, Tigerkit scampered quietly over to the entrance, and peered out. He could hear Bluefur meowing quietly to the kit, but the words were blurred.

A look of shock and fear passed over Whitekit's face, as though he didn't want to believe what he was hearing.

Robinwing appeared behind Tigerkit, and gave him a sharp look. She didn't say anything to him however. Instead, she padded through the tunnel and ran her tail along Whitekit's flank. "I'll feed you, and you'll share my nest with Frostkit and Brindlekit."

Whitekit shook his head emphatically. "I don't want your milk or your nest!" he growled. "I want Snowfur!" He backed away, and then ran across the clearing, to crouch beside his mother's motionless body.

A soft voice murmured from the depths of the nursery. "Come along, Tigerkit. Leave them be." Switfbreeze's eyes shone dimly in the light from the entrance. Reluctantly, Tigerkit padded back inside.

He lay down next to his no longer sleeping mother, resting his head on his paws. The memory of a limp, white body flashed through his mind. "Leopardfoot?" he mewed. "Why wasn't Snowfur moving?"

The black queen sighed, gazing down at the kit. Too young to fully understand death, but too old to be lied to. "She's dead," Leopardfoot murmured. "She's with StarClan now. She won't be coming back." Leaning down, she licked the kit between his small ears.

"What's StarClan? I know of ShadowClan and WindClan and RiverClan. Are StarClan another Clan?"

"In a way, yes. StarClan is out warrior ancestors. When you die, you join StarClan. You can see them at night, in the great bad of stars across the sky. That's Silverpelt." She looked down at Tigerkit, who was listening with wide eyes, and purred. "I'll take you out tonight, after it's dark, and show you. For now though, why don't you go play with Frostkit and Brindlekit in the nursery? I'm sure the elders can tell you more about StarClan."

The kit bounced up, eager to hear more stories. "Okay!" Tail high, he scampered over to the kits to tell them what he had learned.

-+-+-+-

"Why can't I be an apprentice yet?" Tigerkit grumbled. "I'm almost six moons! I want to be Lionheart's apprentice!"

Leopardfoot thwacked his muzzle with her tail. "Shush, you'll get your turn. Now listen, Sunstar is about to speak."

Sure enough, the large golden top leaped deftly to the top of the Highrock, and lifted his tail for silence. "Cats of Thunderclan," he began. "Today, we witness one of the most important ceremonies. The making of new warriors." He looked down on the two golden apprentices. "I, Sunstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

Tigerkit squirmed with excitement. Leopardfoot nudged him with a paw, and he sat up straight.

"Lionpaw, Goldenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," they meowed as one. Then glanced at each other and beamed.

Eyes sparkling with amusement, Sunstar continued. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names." He turned first to the tom. "Lionpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Lionheart. StarClan honors your strength and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior to ThunderClan." He stepped forward, resting his muzzle on the newly named warrior's head. With an expression of awe, Lionheart licked his shoulder, then turned and padded over to stand with the older warriors.

"Goldenpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Goldenflower. StarClan honors your intelligence and your warm heart, and we welcome you as a full warrior to ThunderClan." Again, he rested his muzzle on the new warrior's shoulder, and she gave it a respectful lick.

Goldenflower. It was such a pretty name. Just like it's owner. As the Clan began chating the names of the new warriors, Tigerkit joined in, high voice ringing out enthusiastically above the rest.

He just couldn't wait for his turn!


	5. Chapter 4

"Tigerkit! Tigerkit!"

"Wake up, Tigerkit!"

"Play with us!"

"Are you hibernating? Wake UP!"

The tabby kit blinked open sleepy eyes, and then widened them in shock. This wasn't the nursery! In fact… he didn't know where he was at all. It was a clearing of some sort, that much he could tell. He glanced around, the four massive oaks catching his eye in particular. On the far side of the hollow a large boulder stood, as though guarding the green haven.

A small, dark-furred head popped into view. "Finally! We've been trying to wake you up for ages!" She pranced in place, obviously quite excited that her new friend was up.

A second nose poked around the larger kit's shoulder, followed by a pair of ears and two bright blue eyes. "Will you play with us now? The others won't. They say we're bad luck."

Tigerkit furrowed his brow in confusion. "Who are you? You're not from ThunderClan, I would have recognized you." He jumped up, fur bristling. "You're intruders, aren't you? Go away! I'm warning you, I'll be an apprentice soon, and I can rip you to shreds!"

Purring with amusement, the darker kit waved her stubby tail dismissively. "No no, we're from ThunderClan, don't worry!" She put her face up close to Tigerkits', and he jerked back a bit. "Don't you remember us? I'm Nightkit, this is Mistkit, and _you_…" She sat back, looking proud, "…are Tigerkit! Am I right? Of course I'm right!" She puffed out her tiny chest. "Tiger's Claws, that's what they call you, back in the camp. There's a secret about, you. A… a Prophecy, that's it! It-"

"Nightkit, I think you're confusing him."

The words, accompanied by a gentle nudge, brought the she-kit back from her monologue. She looked over at the tabby, who had his ears flat, eyes wide, and a bemused look on his face. "Oh, right, sorry. Anyway, let's play! You two can be the mice, and I'll be the warrior who's gonna eat you!" She flashed small pointed teeth, and lowered herself into a wobbly crouch.

Tigerkit was still unsure about all the things Nightkit had said, but willing to put that aside for play. "Why do you get to be the warrior? I'm bigger and older!"

"You are _so_ not older! We're the same age, stupid!"

With a playful growl, Tigerkit pounced, bowling the other over, and pummeling her with sheathed claws. Not wanting to be left out, the lighter she-kit gave a flying leap, joining the pile.

They rolled about on the soft grass, gently nipping ears and pawing muzzles, absorbed in their tussle. Thus, it came as a great surprise when a large paw darted in, cuffing the playful group, and sending them tumbling apart.

"_What do you think you're doing?_"

The snarled words came from the mouth of a silvery she-cat, towering above the kits. Her eyes blazed with ice, her pelt sparked with frost, and her teeth were bared in a furious grimace. Shoving her way between the kits, she turned her anger on Nightkit and Mistkit. "You brought him all the way here? What were you _thinking?_ You know you're not supposed to bring the living to StarClan!"

Tigerkit sank down, shivering. He didn't understand any of this. StarClan? That was where cats went when they died, right? But… He wasn't dead… The she-cat had said so. He squeezed his eyes shut and flattened his ears.

A warm tongue rasped across his forehead, and he opened one eye. The silver-grey queen was crouched beside him, rhythmic licks trailing roughly across his face. Even if it was a stranger, the grooming soothed him, and he felt the fear subside. After a few moments, he cracked open the other eye to look for his friends. They were gone. Not even their scent was left. It was as if they had never existed.

The kit blinked, and his eyes stayed shut. They felt like stones, weighing him down, dragging him into the darkness. He struggled to keep awake, but his body refused to respond, keeping him from opening his eyes. Finally, with a deep sigh, he gave in. What was the point of staying awake anyway? Sleep was so wonderful…

As he was slipping away, a voice from so very far away whispered into his ear.

"_Come and see us again soon!"_

**Short chapter, yes… I apologize. But don't worry, things will start picking up soon! Stay tuned for young love, broken hearts, and vicious monster kitties! **


End file.
